Weinberg and Mahler, CBSO, Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla, Birmingham 23/6/21

This was a world-class concert. Last week the two concerts scheduled by the CBSO had to be cancelled because a member of the orchestra tested positively for Covid. It had earlier been announced that Mirga was ill! This week though everyone was present and correct – and it was a pretty large orchestra (strings had clearly been cut back but there were 7 horns and triple trombones and trumpets – some hope then for Bruckner and Mahler symphonies in the not too distant future). The programme was Weinberg’s Rhapsody on Moldavian Themes, Mahler’s Rückert-Lieder and Weinberg’s Symphony No.3. The Weinberg Rhapsody was a riotous piece that put the orchestra through its paces, with Mirga offering almost demonic direction, hands and arms whirling at a terrific rate. I fail to see why this piece is not played more often and it is baffling that it seems to be much less well-known than the very similar Enescu piece. The CBSO sounded fantastic – some particularly excellent oboe playing. 

I was less convinced by the Mahler. Maybe it was my position in the hall – 5^th row in the Circle – but Karen Cargill’s voice didn’t seem to project very well – though there was some beautifully soft singing in the last song which came across very well. I didn’t hear enough light and shade in the voice and variation of phrasing and a tonal response to the words – but there was some beautiful woodwind playing. Given that the critics all raved about this performance I think I am in a minority, but I was far more moved by Elizabeth Llewellyn’s performance of the same songs at the Wigmore Hall last September. 

The Weinberg Symphony I seem to remember hearing from the Proms in 2019 when I was listening to them in a hotel in Jerusalem towards the end of August that year. It’s a very impressive work which I hope to hear again, and which I need to buy a CD or MP3 of. I think Weinberg had a Prokofiev gift for melody and the first two movements have very haunting themes in them. The slow movement and the finale will need some more listening to get my head properly round them. Again, the CBSO and Mirga made the very best case for the work, and it is so good to hear a high-quality piece I hardly know.  There is so much of Weinberg’s work I want to explore – I have about 6 CD’s but there is masses to explore